Navigating the many sources of information around surgery for pelvic prolapse and urinary incontinence

Your phone blinks constantly with news alerts. Your electronic tablet is full of news apps. The Internet provides thousands of websites within a second of your search. Facebook and other social media sites suggest many references you might be interested in. Your mother just saw a commercial on daytime television, and your friend is full of stories of things that definitely happened to her friends.

Today we are bombarded with information from many sources, and trying to know where to start and what to believe can be a bewildering process. The amount of direct-to-patient marketing has never been higher. While this is true of all topics in medicine, recently the controversy concerning vaginal mesh has taken center stage. FDA alerts and new research studies, along with many patient complications, have fueled a litany of legal advertisements on television, radio and the Internet.

Maternal snoring puts women at greater risk of health issues such as high blood pressure and poor delivery outcomes but how do you know if you need treatment?

So your partner tells you that in addition to all of the obvious physical changes from pregnancy, you have also started to snore.

Is it just another irritant on the list of pregnancy nuisances or a serious concern for your health and your baby’s health?

I’ve been studying the link between maternal snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, and mom and baby health for several years. My most recent study found that chronic snoring (snoring before and during pregnancy) makes women 65 percent more likely to deliver small babies and more than twice as likely to have a C-section as non-snorers. This is true even after other known risk factors, such as obesity, are accounted for.

Being ready to have a baby and facing infertility struggles can be a frustrating, challenging time in a couple’s relationships. Infertility is a challenge people face in different ways. No way is necessarily right or wrong. The important thing I tell my patients is to understand and respect your partner’s way — his or her needs, coping mechanisms and communication style — and work together to support each other.

What's normal, and when to seek medical attention

Women are often pulled in multiple directions throughout their week — children, work, parents, home…our To Do lists seem never-ending. It’s no surprise that women often complain of fatigue. So what’s normal fatigue and when is it something that needs medical attention?

Here are some red flags that should prompt you to discuss your fatigue with your doctor:

In addition to the obvious physical changes as your belly grows during pregnancy, what other surprises may your body have in store for you? Pregnancy is an exciting time, but often one filled with many questions — is my baby healthy, can I do this/eat that, and what the heck is happening to my body?

During your first trimester, you’ll probably feel tired, perhaps more tired than you’ve ever felt before. Get as much rest as you can. About 70 percent of women will also experience nausea or vomiting during their first trimester. Eating a balanced diet of bland foods can help. A great over-the-counter combination that has proven effective and safe in controlling nausea and vomiting is taking Unisom (or a generic version) and vitamin B6 before you go to sleep at night.

We all know that breast milk is best for babies, but when you have two, three, four or more babies, is breastfeeding possible? Yes, it is. It requires focus, dedication, planning and help.

Start right. Bring your babies to your breasts as soon as possible after they are born. If the babies are in the NICU or for some other reason unable to nurse immediately, start pumping and saving your breast milk. If your babies are born at under 34 weeks, they will need fortified milk. A mineral-rich supplement can be mixed with your breast milk and given with a bottle for two or three feedings each day, depending on what your doctor recommends.

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